Sibanye-Stillwater’s Keliber lithium project gains strategic status under EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act

SIBANYE-STILLWATER’S Keliber lithium project in Finland and GalliCali project in France have been named among the European Commission’s first 41 strategic projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), a landmark move to secure and diversify the European Union’s (EU’s) access to essential raw materials.

- PHILIPPA LARKIN

Announced Wednesday, the list highlights the South African mining group’s pivotal role in bolstering Europe’s green and digital transitions, targeting materials vital for batteries, renewable energy, and defence technologies.

The CRMA, effective since May 23 2024, aims to ensure that by 2030, EU extraction, processing, and recycling of strategic raw materials meet 10%, 40%, and 25% of annual demand, respectively.

Spanning 13 EU member states, the 41 projects cover extraction, processing, recycling, and substitution, addressing 14 of the 17 strategic raw materials listed in the Act, such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt — critical for advancing Europe’s industrial ambitions.

Sibanye-Stillwater said in a statement, Sibanye-Stillwater’s Keliber lithium project is expected to produce Europe’s first battery-grade lithium hydroxide from its own ore. This advanced project includes several mining areas, a concentrator in Päiväneva,